Box



R. A. MULLER BOX Filed Jul 21 1939 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYJan. 5, 1943.

Jan. 5, 1943.

BOX

Filed July 21, 19 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iggy JfiVENTOR I1 1 I K ATTORNEY IR. A. MULLER 2,307,706

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 NEE.

STATES P BOX Robert Archer Muller, Wellesley, Mass, assigncr to No NailCases Proprietary, Limited, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, a company ofVictoria, Australia (1928) Application .lu'lyZl, 1939, Serial No.285,707

1 Claim.

such a box or packing case is to protect the merchandise shipped in it,and it must necessarily be expected that it will be subjected to veryrough usage, it 'is also essential that such a box'shall havethestrength, stiffness and rigidity to enable it to successfully withstandsuch usage.

A further requirement, or at least a highly desirable characteristic, ofpacking cases of this type is that they shall be capable of assembly inor closely adjacent to the plant where they are to be used so that theycan be shipped from the point of manufacture to the plant in a knockeddown or collapsed condition. In addition, the nature of the box must besuch that its assembly will not require any great degree of skill.

With a view 'to meeting these conditions ithas been proposed to makeboxes with the bottom,

side, and usually the top panels nailed or other-v wise secured vattheir opposite edges to twometal edge binding and hinging strips. Thesestrips are so mitered that such a box blank can readily be folded into ahollow rectangular form. Two end pieces of suitable dimensions can thenbe set into the opposite ends of this hollow structure and secured tothe side and bottom pieces.

While this type of box has been shown in the patented art for manyyears, it has never gone into'commercial use in this country, .so far asI have been able to learn. In European countries, where wood is moreexpensive and the necessity for economy in using it is more compellingthan d in 'this'country, much attention has been given to this type ofbox construction. Even in those countries, however, it has becomecommercial to only a very limited degree, and then only in the kind ofbox in which the edge binding and hinging strips are provided withintergal teeth which are forced through the margins of the panels andclinched.

In attempting to introduce this same box into this country it was foundthat it could only be used for light loads, such as are handledhere incorrugated fiber cartons. They are not strong enough for heavier loadsand are too expensive to compete with the corrugated fiber cartons. If,however, the expense of manufacture of this box til ingit for theshipment of metal parts.

could be reduced to reasonable limits, then it would be a valuableaddition to the containers already used in this country and abroad, .andit would be particularly useful inthe shipment of merchandise whichcannot be handled in corrugated fiber cartons. This class of merchandiseincludes such articles as bearings, bolts, and other small hardwareparts. 9

Such a reduction in expense of-manufacture-of this type of box, however,presents serious problems. As above stated, the only form of this boxwhich has been at all successful has been that in which the edge bindingand hinging strips areprovided with integral teeth which are forcedthrough the margins of the box panels and clinched. This constructionhas the advantage of lending itself to manufacture with the aid ofautomatic machinery and it avoids the necessity for handling independentfasteners in securing the binding strips to the panels. In other words,the use of nails, rivets, staples and screws to fasten these strips tothe panels has not proved successful, partly because of the slow speedat which these operations must be performed and partly, also, becauseoferratic or unsatisfactory clinching of the fasteners on the inside ofthe box. These steps must be controlled accurately in order to'produce asmooth interior and in some cases,'also, to give the necessary strength.Moreover, any type of fastening which requires the preliminary formationof holes to receive it, has proved impractical for this particular use.

On the other hand, a practical disadvantage of the edge binding stripequipped with integral teeth is that the composition and thickness orgauge of the strip cannot be selected merely to suit the requirements ofthe box, but must be determined primarily by the requirements of theteeth. That is, the metal composition must be of such-a nature that theteeth will have the necessary stiffness and rigidity to stand up duringthe process of pressing them through the'margins of the panels, togetherwith that ductility or pliability required for good clinching. Theseconditions usually compel the use of a strip material of a hardercomposition and considerably heavier gauge than is necessary merely tosuit the requirements of the box.

A further objection to this type of box is that the teeth mutilate thematerial of the .panels to a very considerable degree and, partlyinconsequence of this fact, the box lacks the stiffness and rigiditywhich is absolutely .necessary in us- It has a tendency to rackor weavewhich is highly ob jectionable for any purpose except extremely lightloads.

The present invention deals with the problems presented by theseconsiderations. It aims to device a box of the metal bound type abovereferred to and having the advantages of that type of box which will,nevertheless, avoid its shortcomings and objectionable features.

In the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box when closed and sealed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the box with the top orcover raised;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one corner of the box showing a slightlydifferent form of edge binding strip;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of a box blank which also is of novelconstruction;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the end panels;

Fig. 6 is a vertical, sectional view approximately on the line 6-6, Fig.l; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through a portion of the box beside one ofthe Wire stitches.

Referring first to Fig. 4, the box blank there shown comprises fourpanels, A, B, C and D, re-

spectively, the panels B and D being intended to form the sides of thebox, the panel C the bottom, and that shown at A the top or lid. Thesepanels are all secured together in alignment with each other,approximately edge to edge but spaced slightly apart, by metal edgebinding strips 2-2. Each of these strips is of angular form incrosssection, as better shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and comprises acontinuous flange a designed to extend circumferentially around the boxand another flange b, at right angles to the flange a, and notched ormitered to facilitate folding at the edges of the box. Preferably thelatter flange has a bead formed in it, as indicated at 0, Figs. 1,

2 and 6. This edge binding and hinging strip is similar to those usedheretofore except that the flange a is made continuous and is notinterrupted by the formation of teeth in it. Consequently, it isstronger for given dimensions than otherwise would be the case.

Instead of using teeth integral with the strips 2-2 to secure them tothe end margins of the panels, they are fastened by so-called Wirestitches 3. The attachment of these strips to the panels can beperformed very rapidly in a machine equipped with wire stitching heads,such for example, as that known commercially as the Bliss Head. Thesemechanisms aredesigned to, draw wire from supply coils, to cut offsuitable lengths required for individual stitches, to form them into aU-shape, and drive them into the work, the entire operation requiringonly a fraction of a second. Consequently, this attaching operation canbe performed while the blanks are moved continuously through themachine. Also. the legs of these fasteners are cut off practicallysquare and they are so guided during the driving of them that they punchtheir own holes, even through the metal strips 2, which usually are madeof cold rolled steel, and the panels which may, for example, be made ofplywood.

Preferably the stitches are driven lengthwise o the strips 2-2 and thepanels are so positioned on them that the grain of the inner and outerplies runs transversely to the metal strips. C'onsequently, when theends of these stitches are clinched toward each other, as shown in Fig.'7, each one of these fasteners grasps a bundle of fibers extendingtransversely through it and clamps the flat flange a securely to thepanel. The clinching of the ends of these stitches can be accuratelycontrolled and the extreme ends or tips are embedded in a ply of thepanels so that a relatively smooth interior surface is left. It shouldalso be observed that this method of fastening does not materiallyweaken either the metal flanges a or the margins of the plywood panelsthrough which the fasteners are driven because the holes made in theseparts are only substantially as large as the cross-sectional dimensionsof the wire, and for ordinary purposes a steel wire of, say, onlytwenty-thousandths to thirty-thousandths of an inch in diameter isrequired.

Either simultaneously with the stitching of the edge binding and hingingstrips 2-2 to the panels, or at any other convenient time, a metalreinforcing strap 4, Figs. 1 and 4, is also secured to them by Wirestitches. This strap lies between the edge binding strips and extendsparallel to them. In larger boxes it often is desirable to use more thanone of these reinforcing straps. While the number of fasteners used insecuring each strap in place may be varied, a good arrangement is tostitch the strap to the side panels B and D closely to the upper andlower edges of them, to the bottom panels C at the middle and alsonearits opposite edges, and to leave it unattached to the top panel A.

In the particular box structure shown, the panels above referred to donot abut against the flanges b of the edge binding strips 22 but are sopositioned on the flanges a that a space is left between the edge or endfaces of the panels and the flanges 1). Such spaces are shown at d inFigs. 2 and 4 and they are made wide enough to receive comfortably theedges of the end panels ll. and F, Figs. 2, 5 and 6. These panels alsomay consist of the same material as those of which the other panels aremade, and they preferably are equipped with metal lugs 1, eitherprovided with teeth punched from them, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, or,more preferably, wire stitched to the outer faces of the end panels.

In assembling one of these boxes, the blank shown in Fig. 4 is folded atthe mitered'notches or cut-outs formed in the flanges b of the metalstrips 2-2 to bring the side panels B and D into right anglerelationship to the bottom panel C, the top panel or lid A being leftup. The end panels E and F are then slid into the channels d provided atthe opposite ends of the box, as above described, and the lugs 1 areinserted through slots 8 provided in the strips 2-2 to receive them.Those lugs opposite the side and bottom panels then are folded over, asshown in Fig. 1, where they serve to hold this whole assembly in itsboxlike or open condition during the filling or packing of the box. Itshould be observed that at this time the reinforcing strap 4 holds thebottom panel C suspended from the side panels. This is particularlyimportant when the boxes are supported by their ends only on rails orhorses during the filling or packing operation, both because it givesadded strength to the box and also for the reason that it preventsbulging at the bottom of the box and holds the opposing edges ofadjoining panels in correct relationship to each other.

After the box has beenfilled, it isclosed by forcing the lid down in tothe position show in Fig. l, and it is locked there by forcing theslotted ends ID of the strips over the tabs or tongues 9 at the oppositeends of them, and then folding these tongues downwardly, as illustratedin Fig. l.

The lugs 1 at the upper edges of the end panels also are insertedthrough the slots 8 during the closing of the lid and they likewise arefolded over, as shown in Fig. 1. Thereafter the end portions of thereinforcing strap 4 are overlapped, one upon the other, upon the lid Aand are tightened by means of a tool commonly used for this purpose inbox strapping operations, and then are secured permanently together inany convenient way as, for example, by the so-called Acme Seal, as shownat 5 in Fig. 1. This seal is crimped into the edges of the overlappedportions of the straps and secures them firmly together as is wellunderstood by those skilled in the use of box strapping equipment.

Because the strap 4 is fastened to the side panels closely adjacent totheir upper edges and preferably, also, to this and the bottom panel atother points, any danger of overtightening the box to such a degree asto distort it materially is avoided. This is likely to occur with aloose strap because of the tendency of the pull exerted on it to makethe box assume a circular form.

A box of this construction, even when empty, is immensely stronger thanthose made by the methods described in the introductory portion of thisspecification. In fact, merely the addition of the reinforcing strap 4,in the manner here shown, to the box made with the edge binding andhinging strips equipped with integral teeth, adds in an astonishingdegree to the strength and rigidity of that box. It materially reducesits tendency to rack and weave and obviates its objectionable bulgingand warping during filling. A box made of even relatively thin plywoodin the manner shown in the drawings possesses surprising strength,rigidity and stability. In part, this is due to the fact that thestrength of the metal members is used very emciently, but much of thetendency to weave or rack is eliminated by the more secure fastening ofthe edge binding strips 22 to the margins of the side, bottom and toppanels and the elimination of any weakening of the material of thesepanels at the points of attachment. A further and important factor isthe secure binding of those portions of the metal flanges 0. against theedge faces of the end panels E and F. This is accomplished in somedegree by the lugs I but in a large measure also by the tightening ofthe reinforcing strap 4, the lugs being provided primarily for thepurpose of holding the sides and bottom of the box to the end piecesduring the filling operation. The fact that this strap is secured to theside and bottom panels also contributes to added resistance to racking.

With this construction it is entirely practical to provide the flanges aof the edge binding and hinging strips with longtudinal ribs which serveto stiffen these parts. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 3. The wirestitches used in securing the edge binding strips and the reinforcingstraps to the box panels are not like the common staples but, on thecontrary, are relatively long, the distance between their legs beingsuch that they bridge a very considerable width of plywood stock. It ispartly because of this fact that they look the metal straps and stripssecurely to the panels. At the same time they avoid the mutilation ofthe wood and often, also, of the metal, which is produced in attemptingto use staples of the common form. Also, the fact that the ends of thelegs are blunt or square instead of being tapered, as in staples of theusual form, enables these elements to broach their own holes in themetal straps and strips and is likewise of assistance in controlling theclinching of these legs accurately.

A box made in the manner above described can be produced on a commercialscale with less expensive machinery than that required for the otherforms of boxes of this general character above referred to. Also, itovercomes the defects in and objectionable characteristics of theseprior boxes which appear to have been responsible for their failure toattain commercial success.

At the same time the very important advantage of this type of box thatit can be shipped in a knocked-down condition and assembled at the pointWhere it is to beused, packed, closed and sealed, without the necessityfor driving fasteners, and without requiring any substantial degree ofskill, has been preserved.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

A box comprising a folding elongated one-piece blank including aplurality of panels adapted to form the sides, bottom and top of thebox, end members forming the ends of the box, two anglesectional metalstrips secured to opposite edges of the blank for binding and hingingthe panels together and for enclosing the end members, each of saidstrips comprising a body portion and a flange portion extending atsubstantially right angles to the body portion, the body portion of eachof said strips being secured to the outer end edges of said panels andthe flange portion being spaced from the end faces of the panels andproviding channels at opposite sides of the blank between said flangesand said end faces, said end members extending into said channels andthe flange portions contacting the outer face of the adjacent end panelwhen the box is set up, looking means connected to the outside of saidend members between the corners of the box, each of said locking meanshaving a deformable portion extending through a slot in the body portionof the adjacent strip and arranged to be folded outwardly over andagainst the adjacent flange portion when the box is set up, a metalreinforcing strap between said strips, means for wire stitching saidstrap to the opposite sides and to the bottom of the box but not to thetop thereof, said strap having free end portions adapted to overlap andbe secured together above the top, and means connecting the overlappedends of the strap, said strap coacting with the fastening means tosupport and prevent the bottom and sides of the box from bulging whenbeing loaded and for insuring the top being firmly maintained inposition without distorting the box when a tightening force is appliedto the strap.

ROBERT ARCHER MULLER;

